Fundraising...Necessary Evil

Some of the comments I have heard over the last week deserve some explanation. It might not be an explanation that some want to hear, but it is the reasons why we, the varsity basketball program, fundraise. I think sometimes that people see us in our uniforms, travels suits, team shoes, team shirts, hoodies and everything else and assume that the Athletic Department pays for everything for us...that is not true.

I want to take this time to thank our Athletic Director, Bill Niece, for what he does do for us. He takes care of us when it comes to game books for the program, new basketballs each season (which are not cheap), new uniforms every few years (which are not cheap), and paying for our transportation to away games (which is really not cheap). With that being said there are few sports who are self-sufficient in buying their uniforms and other equipment (baseball and softball, I believe are the only ones). The basketball programs, boys and girls, will bring in about 95% of the athletic budget during the course of a school year, but they do not get 95% of the revenue spent on them. Those two programs, 7-12, pay for many non-revenue sports and their transportations.

So, why do we fundraise? Because of the things I posted earlier, if we want to look nice and run a first class program, there are certain things I believe we must have. There are extras that Mr. Niece will not or cannot pay for, and we use the money for those items. We try to keep the prices down for our high school basketball players with some of the money. The money is spent on the student-athletes. Rarely, do we have very much money in our account. The money comes in, it is spent and we move on.

What costs do we keep down? To run a first class program, it probably would cost our basketball players $300-500 per year. We have kept that price down under $200 more often than not. The price they would pay is for travels suits, shoes, team t-shirts, and summer travel tournaments just to name a few things.

How do we fundraise? We run two camps that not only helps with the high school, but also helps to teach our younger players the game of basketball. They, too will someday be in high school. We have a FT-a-thon to help pay for shoes, we sell t-shirts making a very low profit from them. We are going to have Hornet Hysteria in a few days to help with some costs.

Where does the fundraising money go? We have used it to buy many things for the high school program, we have used it to donate to charities in the name of Henryville Basketball, we have donated money to other programs including the Band. That money that is raised by us is being used in positive manners.

As for the elementary program, the varsity boys' program runs it. We have some input to who coaches, we schedule the games, we work the games (book, gate worker, clock keeper, officials, supervision), and then we use that money to help with the elementary boys' program. Each game, roughly, we save $200 by working the games, and scheduling the games ourselves. Items we have bought for the elementary program (K-6) include smaller basketballs, new basketballs, nets, game books, score cards and when asked and if needed, we will buy their uniforms.

No one is getting rich off our fundraising projects, and we still don't do everything that I would like to do for the entire program due to lack of funds. It would be nice to have an alumnae donate large amounts of money each year, but it just doesn't happen. Instead of me going out and begging for money, we work for it. I think it is important, too to reward those who come up with the ideas, work to put the ideas to work, and then do the work.

Finally, let me close by saying "thank you" to everyone who has helped with the basketball program from the bottom to the top. Many do it for no pay which is in essence a donation. Thank you to all of the community members, teachers, players, former players and parents who do buy the shirts, come to the games, and donate money to help us run a first class program. We could not do it without you!

What do You Believe In?

I was thinking the other day and came up with a quote. I am pretty sure it has been around as I am not smart enough to think of this on my own. I came up with it after having a lengthy conversation with someone over the weekend.

Do your beliefs justify your behavior or does your behavior represent your beliefs?

What I mean by this is do you do some things that would be frowned upon by society or your mother, yet you tell some people that is okay because you believe it is okay to do those things. You represent yourself and if you aren't hurting anyone but yourself, then so be it. Unfortunately, when living for ourselves, we aren't hurting just ourselves. We may not see the ripples of our choices immediately, but they are there.

Or do your behaviors represent your beliefs? Probably constraining one's self, limiting what you do, and actually having some self-discipline is a hard thing to do. If you believe in "right" and you try to do what is "right", you will be attacked. Now I am not naieve to think that not everyone has done something in the past whether it be 20 years ago or one week ago of which they are not proud, and it doesn't represent their beliefs. Does that make them a hypocrite? I don't believe so, I think it makes them human.

However, if you continually use behavior contradictory of your beliefs then self-reflection and genuine honesty must occur. Trust me, I fall short often behaving congruent to what my beliefs are, but I continually strive to be better. Am I a failure? Am I a hypocrite? I think not, life is a continuous journey to be better.....but I may just be justifying my behavior with my beliefs.

6 Rules to Live By Because it is Respectful

(Pictured is Coach Herman Furnish, the winningest coach of all-time at HHS and who Furnish Gymnasium is named after)

1. If you use it, put it back where you found it or where it belongs. There may sometimes be nothing more frustrating then when you go to use something and it isn't there and you have to search for it.

2. If you break it, fix it or help pay to have it fixed...if not paying all of it. It is the right thing to do

3. If it is not yours, do not take it...that's called stealing. I know that sometimes that is hard for people to believe, but it is.

4. If you make a mess, clean it up...don't wait for someone else to do it. Because usually it is someone who either has too much to do already or it will be cleaned up by someone whose job it isn't to do so.

5. Look for things to be done to help out, don't always wait to be told. Be proactive in helping out. First, watch and see how things are accomplished, second, do it before it can be done by who usually does it. If they don't like it, they will tell you.

6. If you say it, mean it and follow through with it. Your word must be your bond. Don't say something just to be nice, say the truth or don't say anything at all. That doesn't mean to be rude, but be truthful.

Who Am I Responsible To?

In today's society, we are often taught to believe that we are responsible to no one, but ourselves. Therefore, if we do anything that just might let someone down, it would be their problem and not ours because I am responsible for myself. I think that I just may totally disagree with that assessment. As a coach and as players at Henryville H.S., I believe we are responsible to many, many different groups of people and sometimes they may overlap in these different groups.

1. I believe that when you decide to play or coach basketball you become responsible to the team. Your actions can decide how the chemistry of the team will emerge. It can decide playing time and can upset the delicate balance that is chemistry within a team. It never amazes me that someone may risk their memories of basketball for a short term "feel good" moment. When in reality, they won't be responsible to anyone in the near future and can participate in anything they want. They won't let anyone down on any team at that point.

2. You are responsbile to the coach and the coaches to you. Both sides are working hard towards a common goal and if either upsets that respect for each other, it can lead to a bad season or bad chemistry.

3. You are responsbile to your school. Your school is giving you the opportunity to play and be recognized in special ways that doesn't occur for other students and won't occur in the near future.

4. You are responsible to your community. There are people who come ever single game and have for generations to see us play and hopefully to win. You owe them your best effort both on and off the court.

5. You are responsible to your family. They have run you from here to there, gotten you to practice on time, gotten you to games on time, been there for your events when you win and lose.

6. You are responsible to your friends. Especially those who don't have the same ability as you and would do anything to be in your position.

7. And finally, to yourself, yes yourself. You have gotten to this point, don't ruin what could be a lifetime of memories over one stupid decision.

What is Leadership?

In my book, there are two types of leadership. The vocal, boisterous, often in-your-face type of leadership. And then there is the quiet, work hard and hope that everyone notices and follows suit type of leadership.

The vocal leader is often the true leader of a team. They are the one who is both quick to get on their teammates by helping "coach" them, but is also the one who is quick to pat them on the back. Often his teammates will take the negative because he also gives the positive, but also because they see that he is going above and beyond the expected. That guy is busting his behind every possession all the time, diving for loose balls, working so hard they stagger when brought out of practice or a game. If someone like that is giving their all, it is almost ridiculous that you would get aggravated when they expected more from you.

The quiet leader is the guy who shoots hundreds of shots even when no one is looking. He is the guy who is working on ball handling even when no one is looking. He is the guy who does the same things as the vocal leader, but does not give the negative or positive reinforcement. He is the guy who does what he does and feels that others should see and do the same.

What kind of leader am I? You would probably have to ask the players and my assistants, but I think depending on who you ask, you would get different answers. I hope that my assistants and players work hard because they see me do it. My players, I will be the vocal leader in that area, but with my assistants, I hope they see and do the same. With a team, I have to be more vocal, but sometimes saying nothing gets the same point across.

With my assistants who are grown men, they should be smart enough and open minded enough to learn. One of the things I did early in my career was sometimes think I was smarter than the head coach. How wrong I was....sometimes I may have done things differently, but I was not smarter, just thought differently. Which, believe me, there is more than one way to play the great game of basketball.

As I enter my 18th year of coaching basketball at different levels, I have learned so much. I will learn even more this year. When you stop learning, you might as well hang it up. So am I a vocal or quiet leader? I would say both, but as I said on some days when you come into Furnish Gymnasium, you might not find too many of the guys who think I am being soft spoken.

Basketball...it really is just a game...

When I was younger, like little kid young, I competed so hard and wanted to win. Winning was the only thing as far as I was concerned. That and personal success. I was trying to draw the attention of others and it helped to boost my self-esteem when I did well or we won.

Then when I started coaching, I coached every game like it was the State Championship, still do. If we won, I felt that is what you are supposed to do, and if we lost...it felt like someone kicked me in the gut.

Then four years ago, we had our daughter, and...well, it really is just a game. I still coach and work to the best of my abilities because it is the right thing to do and that is how I am programmed, but if we win, it's a good night. And if we lose? Well, it still isn't good, but when I look at my two kids, losing is much more bearable.

We lost a close game in the State Tournament this past March, and I was disappointed. More so for the guys. We lost by 1 point to a team who we had beaten twice during the season in very close games. I felt that I had let them down, but hey...it isn't death. Then my daughter came to see me (son too young yet to know what is going on) and she was distraught. I mean as bad as I cried in my last game as a high school basketball player. Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes for her and not for me....it really is just a game.

Now some of our closest friends are dealing with an illness to a loved one. And to be honest, it doesn't look good. This person is a Henryville icon, a person that when you mention the town, you mention McKee Munk, Tom Murphy, Steve Price, and others. McKee has had a rich life from being a son, nephew, basketball player, husband, school bus driver, auto dealer, insurance salesman, father, grandfather, great grandfather, gentleman, and confidant....it really is just a game.

No matter what happens between now and November, it doesn't look like he will be physically able to attend games this winter, and to be honest, I don't know when it was the last time he missed a game, needless to say a season. My family hopes and prays for him and his family. May God do his will and keep him pain free....it really is just a game.

Sometimes when people die they leave behind little or no legacy, but it will not be the case in this situation. What he leaves behind is something that will last generations in his family, and his influence will last for generations with those that were close to him....it really is just a game.

The world will be a lesser place without him, and he will not be forgotten.